Ironing-board.



Patented Aug. I3, |901. C. H. VAN DEUSEN.

IBONING BOARD.

(Application led Oct. 8, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES ATENT anion.

CHARLES II. VAN DEUSEN, OF VERONA, ILLINOIS.

IRONING-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,297, dated August 13, 1901.

Application filed October 8, 1900. Serial No. 32.429. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom. it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. VAN DEU- SEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Verona, in the county of Grundy and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Ironing-Board, of which the following is a specification.

ThisV invention relates to ironing-boards, and has for its object to provide an improved device of this character which is especially designed for ironing shirt-bosoms and is provided with improved means for stretching the bosom of ashirt, so that it may be free from wrinkles. It is furthermore designed to arrange the device so that it will stretch a shirt i-n opposite directions, and to provide improved means for connecting the shirt to the movable stretching parts of the board, and finally to provide an improved operating device, so as to facilitate the adjustment of the stretching parts.

With these and other objects in View the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of an ironing-board constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is -a transverse sectional view taken o-n the line 3 3 of Fig. l.

Corresponding parts are designated by like characters of reference in all of the gures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the body of the board, which is preferably formed of wood and is substantially rectangular in shape and provided at one end with a reduced neck portion 2. Extending longitudinally of the board is a groove 3, formed in the outer 'or upper face thereof and having one end opening outwardly through the neck and its opposite end terminating short of the bottom end of the board. The inner end of this groove is enlarged, so as to form a socket or recess 4, and a similar recess 5 is formed adjacent to the neck end of the board. A slidable bar or rod 6 is mounted in the longitudinal groove and projects at the outer open end thereof, where it is provided with a cross head or bar 7, having an intermediate eye or perforation 8, whereby the board may be hung up when not in use. Suitable coiled springs 9 connect the opposite ends of the cross head or bar with the adjacent end of the board. As best indicated in Fig. 2, the sockets or recesses 4 and 5 are deeper than the groove, so as to receive the triangular wedges 10 and 11, respectively, the points of the wedges being directed toward the cross-head end of the slidable bar. Said wedges are also located beneath the rod and fixedly connected thereto, so as to move therewith within the sockets or recesses.

The means for operating the slidable bar comprises a cam 12, pivoted to the outer side of the bar and outwardly from the outer recess, and also provided with a nger-piece 13 for the convenient manipulation thereof. A stop plate or strap 14 bridges the groove and is xedly connected to the neck, so that the marginal edge of the cam is in frictional engagement with the outer edge of the stop, so that by turning the cam the latter rides upon the stop-plate, and thereby draws the slidable rod outwardly against the yieldable pressure of the springs 9, which automatically return the rod to its original normal position upon areverse movement of the cam.

Each longitudinal edge of the board is provided with an outwardly-movable clamp for connection with a shirt and is formed by means of the opposite strips 15 and 16, which are yieldingly connected by means of two or more coiled springs 17, which pass through alined transverse perforations 1S and 19 in the strips and have their inner ends fixedly connected to the adjacent edge of the body of the board and their outer ends connected to the outer strip 1G. By this means the clamp is movable laterally in opposite directions, and the outer strip may be tilted away from the inner strip, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, upon the hinged connection of the strips afforded by the connecting-springs. The upper outer edge of the inner strip is provided with a longitudinal rabbet 20, the in- IOO site longitudinal edges are formed to engage` beneath the undercut wall of the rabbet and the overhanging shoulder of the outer strip. It will now be apparent that the outer strip is tilted outwardly to permit of the removable clamping-strip being applied and removed.

In order that the respective clamps may be simultaneously moved outwardlyin opposite directions, each inner strip is provided with a pair of laterally inwardly projecting rods 24, which are slidably received within transverse openings 25, formed through the board and opening at their inner ends into the respective enlarged portions of the groove in the board. eled, as shown at 26, so as to lie iiat against the respective inclined sides of the wedges, whereby when the latter are drawn outwardly the rods will be forced outwardly, thereby forcing the clamps outwardly in opposite directions.

The bottom end of the board is provided with atailpiece 27, the outer longitudinal edge of which is provided with a groove 28, the under side of which is the longer and projects outwardly beyond the outer face of the tailpiece. A clamping-block 29 has its inner edge iitted into the grove 28 and has its under side rabbeted, as at 30, for the reception of the projecting under side of the groove. Suitable helical springs 3l have their opposite ends connected to the respective ends of the clamping-block and the adjacent end of the board, so as to form a spring-hinge, whereby the block may be tiltedor swung out of engagement with the tailpiece, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The tailpiece is slightly shorter than the width of the board and the block is provided with the opposite terminal shoulders or projections 32 for the connection of the outer ends of the springs, whereby the latter are housed within a recess in the ends of the tailpiece andthe block, and the inner ends of the spring are connected to the end edge of the board, so as site sides of the board.

l A sheet of tin or other suitable metal 33 is secured to the outer face of the board, so as to cover the slidable rod, and thereby hold the same in place, and alsoto form a hard solid face for the board. This metal sheet is covered with suitable cloth 34:, which is tacked or otherwise rmly secured to f the edges of the board, so as to pad the latter inthe usual manner.

In applying a shirt to the board the opposite ends of the neckband of the shirt are connected and the board is thrust upwardly through the shirt until the neck-piece projects through the neckband and the latter firmly embraces the springs. Then the tail-clamp- The inner ends of these rods are beving block 2.9 is thrown backwardly and the tail portion of the shirt is drawn inwardly between the adjacent edges of the block and the tailpiece, after which the block is swung back into its normal position, thereby clamping the tail of the shirt to the board. The removable clamping-strips are then removed and the opposite portions of the shirt at opposite sides of the bosom are then pressed into the longitudinal groovesof the side clamps, and then the strips are replaced by tilting' the outer strips outwardly. By this means the shirt is fixed to the several parts yof the board, and then the cam is operated to draw the slidable rod 6 outwardly, thereby forcing the side clamps outwardly to stretch `the shirt laterally, and the expansion of the springs draws the neckband outwardly, and

jthereby stretches the shirt longitudinally.

What is claimed is 1. In an ironing-board, thecombination with a body, of a fixed clamp at one end there- 1of,laterallymovable clamps at. opposite sides of the board, an intermediate longitudinally- ,movable rod ,projected beyond that end of lthe body which is opposite the fixed clamp, means for transferring lateral movement to l.the side clamps by a longitudinal movement ofy the intermediate rod, and opposite springs ,connecting the 'projected portion of the rod to the adjacent end' of` the body and diverging toward said body, the springs forming means for yieldably supporting the neckbandy of a shirt, and for automatically returning the rod to its normal position.

2. In an ironing-board, the combination `with a body, having a reduced neck portion `at one end thereof, a fixed clamp at the opposite end of the. body, laterally-movable clamps at opposite sides 'of the body, an inftermediate longitudinally movable stretching-rod extending across the neck of the lboard, means for transferring lateral motion Eto the side clamps by ay longitudinal movement of. the rod, an operating handled cam mounted upon that portion of the rod which ,extends across the neck of the body, and a friction-shoulder provided upon the neck portion ot the body and in frictional engagement with the peripheral' edge of the cam. not to interfere with the clamps at the oppo- 3. An ironing-board, having opposite laterally-movable clamps, each of the latter comgprising a relatively-iixed inner member, having a lateral opening formed therethrough, an outer member, and a coiled spring located lwithin the opening in the inner member, and having its opposite ends connected to the board and the' outer clampmember, respectively, whereby a spring-hinge connection is Eformed betweenthe two clamp members, and

means for moving the clamps. outwardly in lopposite directions.

4. In .an ironingboard, the combination with the board proper, having areduced neck at one end, of an intermediate longitudinallylslidable stretching-rod projecting outwardly beyond the neck, and provided at its outer ing-rod, an onter strip, and opposite coiled springs received Within the respective open- I5 ings in the inner strip, and having their opposite ends connected to the adjacent edge of the board and the outer strip, respectively.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed my signature in 2o the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES H. VAN DEUSEN Witnesses:

LYMAN HOUGH, Y L. A. WHITTEMORE. 

